This invention relates to a container closure to be applied to a mouth-and-neck portion of a container accommodating a liquid. More particularly, the invention relates to a container closure having an outflow tube for flowing out of the liquid contained in the container.
Each of Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication Nos. 60-96254 and 60-96255 discloses a container closure having a closure body to be mounted on a mouth-and-neck portion of a container, and an outflow tube mounted on the closure body. Such a container closure is to be applied to the mouth-and-neck portion of a container accommodating a liquid such as a beverage. The closure body has a circular main wall, and a cylindrical skirt wall extending downwardly from a peripheral edge of the main wall. The skirt wall is fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth-and-neck portion of the container, and the main wall covers the top surface of the mouth-and-neck portion. In the main wall, an outflow hole is formed. The outflow tube is mounted on an upper surface of the main wall of the closure body pivotably between an erected outflow position and a toppled closed position. In the outflow tube, a penetrating outflow path is defined. When the outflow tube is erected at the outflow position, the penetrating outflow path of the outflow tube is made to communicate with the inside of the container via the outflow hole in the main wall of the closure body. Thus, one can drink the contents of the container, for example, by holding the outflow tube in one""s mouth and sucking through it. When the outflow tube is toppled to the closed position, the penetrating outflow path is cut off from communication with the outflow hole.
The foregoing conventional container closure involves the following problems to be solved: First, the outflow tube is always exposed, making it unpreferred hygienically to hold the outflow tube in the mouth. Secondly, in the configuration disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 60-96254, there is need to hook a finger directly on the outflow tube in order to pivot the outflow tube. This is not preferred from the hygienic point of view. In the configuration disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 60-96255, the outflow tube can be pivoted by operating pivot means disposed on the main wall of the closure body. However, the container closure disclosed there is not necessarily easy to produce, because of the structure of the pivot means itself and a constitution concerned with the connection between the pivot means and the outflow tube.
The first problem can be solved by adding an outer cap which is fitted onto the closure body to cover the main wall of the closure body and the outflow tube located at the closed position. However, simply when the outer cap is added, it is necessary to move the outer cap to an open position relative to the closure body or remove the outer cap from the closure body, and further to erect the outflow tube from the closed position to the outflow position in order to flow out the contents of the container. After the outflow of the contents of the container is completed, it is necessary to topple the outflow tube from the outflow position to the closed position and to move the outer cap to the closed position relative to the closure body or to fit the outer cap onto the closure body. Thus, handling of the container closure is considerably tiresome.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved container closure, in which there is additionally an outer cap capable of covering a main wall of a closure body and an outflow tube situated at a closed position, and nevertheless, merely by opening or closing the outer cap, the outflow tube is pivoted as required, namely, erected or toppled, so that all of the aforementioned problems existing with the conventional container closure are solved.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved container closure, in which even if the outflow tube alone is toppled to the closed position when the outer cap is located at the open position, the outer cap is pivoted from the open position to the closed position sufficiently easily, whereby the outflow tube can be housed in the outer cap.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved container closure in which the outer cap can be used as a measuring cup and a liquid contained in the container can be favorably measured and discharged.
The inventors of the invention conducted extensive studies, and found that the principal object could be attained in the following manner: An outflow tube is pivotably mounted on an upper surface of a main wall of a closure body. An outer cap is pivotably mounted on the closure body. The mounting positions and sizes of the outer cap and the outflow tube are suitably determined such that when the outer cap is pivoted from a closed position toward an open position, the outer cap interferes with the outflow tube located at a closed position to erect the outflow tube from the closed position to an outflow position, then the outer cap is separated from the outflow tube and brought to the open position, whereas when the outer cap is pivoted from the open position toward the closed position, the outer cap interferes with the outflow tube located at the outflow position to topple the outflow tube from the outflow position to the closed position, and the outer cap is also brought to the closed position.
That is, according to the present invention, as a container closure for attaining the principal object, there is provided a container closure comprising:
a closure body to be mounted on a mouth-and-neck portion of a container; an outflow tube having a penetrating outflow path; and an outer cap, and wherein:
the closure body has a main wall covering a top surface of the mouth-and-neck portion of the container, and an outflow hole is disposed in the main wall;
the outflow tube is pivotably mounted on an upper surface of the main wall of the closure body, when the outflow tube is located at an outflow position at which the outflow tube extends upward from the outflow hole of the main wall, the penetrating outflow path is made to communicate with an interior of the container via the outflow hole, and when the outflow tube is toppled to a closed position, the penetrating outflow path is cut off from communication with the outflow hole;
the outer cap is mounted on the closure body pivotably between a closed position and an open position, when at the closed position, the outer cap covers the main wall of the closure body and the outflow tube, and when at the open position, the outer cap exposes the main wall of the closure body and the outflow tube;
when the outer cap is pivoted from the closed position toward the open position, the outer cap interferes with- the outflow tube located at the closed position to erect the outflow tube from the closed position to the outflow position, then the outer cap is separated from the outflow tube and brought to the open position, and when the outer cap is pivoted from the open position toward the closed position, the outer cap interferes with the outflow tube located at the outflow position to topple the outflow tube from the outflow position to the closed position, and the outer cap is also brought to the closed position.
In the container closure for attaining another object of the invention, a closed position restricting piece, which is tilted when a pressing force of a predetermined value or more is exerted, may be disposed on the main wall of the closure body; when a pressing force of a predetermined value or more is exerted on the closed position restricting piece via the outflow tube after the outflow tube is toppled and contacted with the closed position restricting piece, the closed position restricting piece may be tilted and the outflow tube may be further toppled; and when the pressing force via the outflow tube is released, the closed position restricting piece may be elastically restored. Preferably, the closed position restricting piece has a thin-walled lower end portion, and is tilted by being pivoted about the thin-walled lower end portion as a pivot center.
In the container closure for attaining still another object of the invention, a metering mark may be disposed on the outer cap. The outer cap is preferably transparent or semitransparent.
The invention also has the following preferred embodiments: A pivot center axis of the outflow tube and a pivot center axis of the outer cap extend substantially parallel, and the pivot center axis of the outer cap is positioned below, and radially outwardly of, the pivot center axis of the outflow tube. The outer cap has a circular top panel wall, and a cylindrical skirt wall extending downwardly from a peripheral edge of the top panel wall. When the outer cap is pivoted from the closed position toward the open position, an inner peripheral surface of a lower end portion of the skirt wall interferes with a front end portion of the outflow tube, and when the outer cap is pivoted from the open position toward the closed position, a lower end or the inner peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the skirt wall interferes with the front end portion of the outflow tube. A grip protrusion protruding radially outwardly is disposed at a position in an upper end portion of an outer peripheral surface of the skirt wall of the outer cap, the position being farthermost from a pivot center axis of the outer cap.